Institute of Transport articulates road map for development

Following the recent enactment of the Act establishing the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, CIOTA, by the Federal Government, the executive council of the institute has articulated a strategic road map for its development and growth. 

National president of the institute, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, disclosed this at a maiden press conference held in Lagos.

He said that under the strategic direction, “the institute will build a reputation as a world class institute of transport administration by providing and advancing top notch study, training, certification and practice of transport management and administration in Nigeria and other related matters.” Jamoh said the institute would expand the transportation practice footprint across the country by becoming a reputable institute nationwide based on the mandate of the Act establishing it. 

He added that the six geo-graphical zones will be duly covered to lead specific transportation-related initiatives from the roads in the east, north-central where a lot of mining is presently going on while in Lagos, the hub of the South-West there would be focus on pipelines, cable transportation and aviation. 

The institute also intends to establish valuable partnerships and strategic alliances with all target stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Transport and other related MDAs in aviation, roads, rails, maritime, pipelines, transport, labour and National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW. 

The president said they would continue to train professionals and also advise government and all stakeholders to adopt and implement global best practices in transport administration. Jamoh also appreciated the eighth National Assembly for passing the bill and President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to it in a bid to make it an act. 

During his investiture as president of the institute, Jamoh promised that his administration would prioritise the attainment of a charter status for the institute in a bid to make it a voice in the scheme of things in Nigeria’s transport sector. He said the attainment of charter status had been a long struggle and a lot of hard work, which involved building on the legacies of his predecessors because institutional building is a continuum. 

CIOTA is a professional body dedicated to broadening and improving the knowledge, skills and experience of its members in the practice of efficient transport management or an intermodal mode basis covering road, rail, air and pipeline/petroleum. 

It was founded in 1944 in Great Britain and organised throughout the vast transport industry worldwide as an association of professional transport managers and administrators with more than 30,000 membership strength. 

The Chartered institute of Transport Administration (Nigeria chapter) was incorporated as an autonomous transport professional body on September 22, 1986 under the Land Perpetual Succession Act Cap 98. 

The institute has grown steadily in membership within Nigeria to more than 2,000 membership and has attracted transport professionals from all sectors of the industry.